Loose leaf binder



June 7, 1938. 5. BROWN I 2,120,086

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed March 15, 1936 INVENTOR.

530mm! J Erma/2., Jae-0d 7 05%.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application -March 13,

'13 Claims.

The present application relates to a loose leaf binder, and more particularly to a binder :or holder for a sheaf of loose papers, primarily intended -to;be used as a scratch pad.

A primary objectof the inventionfis to :provide a-device of the type indicated which can be used to bind unperforated sheets of standard size; so that its use will not only be less expensive than the use of holders of the type which require perforated paper, but will also be less troublesome; in that the paper 'may 'merely be slipped into place in the holder, and then clamped in position.

Further objects of the invention will appear'as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention maybe embodied in the forms illustrated inthe accompanyingdrawing, attention being called to the fact, however, that "the drawing is illustrative only, and that change may be 'made in the specific constructions illustrated and described, so long "as the scope "of the appended claims is -not violated.

Fig.' 1"is a'perspective View of a binder constructed in accordance with "the present invention, with which is associated a sheaf of papers;

Fig. '2 is an enlarged fragmentary "end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 'is a plan view thereof with the 'papers removed;

Fig. '4 'is a fragmentary longitudinal section takensubstantially'upon line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; .and

Fig. 5 is 'a fragmentary "end elevation similar to Fig. 2 "but illustratinga modified form 'ofthe invention.

Referring more particularly'to the drawing,it will be seen that I have illustrated a'base I I] of suitable dimensions for supporting a sheaf of loose papers I I. Upwardly projecting from its opposite edges are ears or flanges I2which serve as guides in inserting a sheaf of papers, and which further provide supportstowhich levers I4 and "I5 maybe pivotally secured'by means of hollow rivets I3, or the like. The free ends of the levers and I5 areconnected by a crossbar I6 which, in the illustratedembodiment of the invention, is integral with said levers.

Preferably, the bar 46 -is of suflicient size, "in the direction of the length of the base I0, to hear an advertising legend; and, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, I have provided'a separate plate I! secured to the upper surface of the cross bar IS in any suitable manher, with the idea that it-will beless expensive,

1936, Serial No. 68,704

The bar 16 is provided, at its edge adjacent to V the pivot axis I3, with a down turned lip I84 which is adapted to be pressed in clampinglengagement with the sheaf H of paper. The .provision of the lip I8, not only makes for more satisfactory gripping of the paper, but improves the capaoity'of the clamping means for provid- 1.0 ing for smooth tearing of the sheets along the line of engagement of the lip I 8. 7

Immediately adjacent the end of the base I0 nearest the cross bar I6, there is mounted an upstanding screw I9 which is suitably secured..15 to the base and is held against any movement with respect thereto. A nut is threadedly mounted onsaid screw I9,-and-is adapted'to be engaged in a notch 2| formed in the adjacent edge of the cross bar l6. As is clearly illustrated .20 in Fig. 2, the lips 22 and .23 of said notch 2| are bent downwardly at approximately the axes or points 24, 24; and, as is indicated in Fig.4, said lips are .further bent-downwardly about -an axis substantially perpendicular tothe axes-'24, 24, :25

as at 25.

Adjacentits bottom end, the nut 20 is formed with'a circumferential groove 26 bounded at its upper edge by a substantially flatsurface'or wall 21, and at its lower edge by a chamfered wall or 30 flange 28. The lips 22 and 23 are engaged in said groove 26; and it will be seen, therefore, that rotation of the nut in one direction will positively move the bar l6 toward the base Ill,

while rotation of the nut in the opposite direction;.35

will positively move said baraway from said base. The manner in which the lips Hand 23 are bent downwardly about the axes 24 and .25 is such that, as the bar 16 moves about its pivotal axis I3, in a counter-clockwisedirection as viewedAO in Fig. 4, thus being drawn toward the left 'as viewedgin Fig. 4, the portions of the lips which engage with the walls of the groove 26 remain substantially perpendicular to the axis of the screw I9.

That surface of the screw I9 which faces away from the adjacent end of the'base IOis flattened, as at 29. Thus the screw may be used as an abutment for determining the degree of =insertion'of the paper into the holder, and yet the individual sheets do not tend to 'hang'up on the threads of the screw, since the threads are eliminated onithatportion of the screw which is engaged by the paper.

Preferably that end of the base remote "from the screw I9 is formed with a thumb notch 30. It will be seen that I have provided a holder comprising a base, a bar adapted to cooperate .with said base to clamp a sheaf of paper on boundaries of the sheaf, which makes it unnecessary to use holes or notches in the leaves, so that refilling of the pad is very inexpensive.

While the above described organization is useful primarily as amemorandum pad, it could be used in: an enlarged form for filing correspondence and other papers. Preferably, however, a

different form of holding means for the cross bar would be used in such aho1der. In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a base 3!, adapted to supporta sheaf 32 of letters, or the like, there being provided a cross'bar 33 similarin substantially all respects to" the cross bar IEQ and pivotallysupported on levers similar to the'levers I4 and I5. In its edge nearest to theadjacentend of the base 3! said cross bar 33 is formed with a notch defined yziiio's 34 and 35'.

A chain, .preferably of the bead type, indicaited generally; by, the reference numeral 36 f has one end secured in a suitable holder 3! car.-

' ried by the base 3i. As is usual in such chains 1 the beads ,38 are; connected by spacer elements 39; audit will" be quite obvious that the chain 40.

ca njbe pulled into the notch between the lips 34 and 35. atanypoint wherethere appears a sp acer39. 4 That is, the collection of letters being' inserted inQthe holder, the cross bar 33 is manfuall y pressed..into, engagement with the batch of-letters, and then the chain is lifted and pulled into the notch between the lips Stand 35. It will be clear that, when the chain is so inserted into the notch, the bar33 will be held against movement awayfrom the base 3 I.

O.bviously,"a chain of the linktype might be used in place of the illustrated bead-type chain.

In orderto lighten the binder and to enable the leaves to be turned more easily, that portion of the base below a line connecting the pivots IS in Fig. '3 may be omitted.

I claim' as my invention: 7 1

1. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base, a pair i of levers pivotally mounted upon aligned axes on oppositesides of said'base intermediate the ends thereof, saidlevers projecting toward one end of said base, a bar joining the free ends of said levers, and 'means cooperating with said base .and directly engaging'saidbar. for holdingisaid-bar against movement away from said base.

2. Aloose-leaf binder comprising a base,a pair. a of levers pivotally mounted upon aligned axes .1 on opposite sides of said base, a bar joining .the

- free ends .of said levers and having a portion engageable with leaves-carried on said base to clamp the same in placegand means cooperating withsaid base and said bar for holding, said bar against movement away from said base-said en-' f g 'portion being disposed between said last named means andthe pivotal axes Ofsa-id levers.

3. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base having a flat portion for supporting a sheaf of pa-. pers, a pair of leverslpivotally mounted upon aligned axes'on opposite sides, of the flat portion of said base and intermediate the ends thereof to lie beyond the edges of said papers, at bar joining the free ends of said levers, and means providing a connection betweensaid bar and said base for causing said bar to exert a'retainingpressure upon said papers.

4.' A loose-leaf binder comprising a base, apair' 1 of levers pivotally mounted upon alignedaxes on opposite sides of said base, a bar joining the free. ends of said levers, a screw projecting upwardly from said base and held against 'movement with respect thereto, and a nut threadedly mounted onsaid screw and cooperable with said bar to shift the same with respect to said base.

5. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base, a pair of levers pivotally mounted upon aligned axes on opposite sides of said base, 'abar joining the free ends of said levers, a screw projecting upwardly from said base and held againstmovement with respect thereto, and a nut threadedly mounted on said screw and cooperable with said bar to shift the same positively toward and away from said basef 6. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base, a pair a of levers pivotally mounted upon aligned axes on opposite sides of said base, a bar, joining the free ends of said levers and formed with a notch in one transverse edge thereof, a screw projecting upwardly from said base held against movement with respect thereto, and a nut threadedly mounted on said screw andprovided with a circumferential groove, the edges of said notch being engaged in said groove.

7. Aloosedeaf binder comprising a base, a pai of levers pivotally mounted upon aligned axes on opposite sides of said base, a bar joining the free ends of said levers and formed with. a notch in upwardly from said baseand held against movement with respect thereto, and a nut threadedly mounted on' said screwand provided: with a circumferential groove, the edges of said notch being engaged in said groove, and the material of the bar adjacent the edges of saidnotch being bent out of the plane ofsaid'bar whereby, as said nut moves-toward andaway from said base,1the portions of said notch-Walls which engagethe .walls of said groove are substantially parallel thereto.

8. In a device for retaining a groupof loose sheets, a base, a screw projecting upwardly adjacent one end of said base and held'against' movement with respect thereto, a bar movable 'with respect thereto, and a nut Y threadedly mounted on said screw and cooperative with'said bar .to shift the same toward'and away from said 7 one transverse edge thereof, ascrew projecting base, that portion of said screw which facesthe 'remote end of said base being flattened;

9. For use witha sheaf of loose sheets, a base, a'clamp bar carried by a pair of levers permanently pivotally'secured to opposite side edges of said base, and means cooperating with said base and clamp bar, and separated from the pivotal axes of said levers by said clamp bar, to hold said clamp bar in clamping relation with said base,

said last-named means and saidlevers being looatedi outside the boundaries of saidsheafof I sheets.

10. In combination, a base, a pair' of levers 'mounted on aligned pivotal axes at opposite-sides of said base, across bar' joining the free ends of said levers and formed with a notch in one transverse edge, and a chain having one end secured to said base, and adapted to be engaged in said notch at any one of a plurality of points in its length to secure said bar against movement away from said base.

11. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base adapted to support a sheaf of loose sheets, a generally U-shaped element having the extremities of its legs pivoted on said base upon aligned axes intermediate the ends of said base, and the transverse member of said element being adapted to engage the uppermost sheet of said sheaf to clamp said sheaf in place on said base, and means for applying external force to said transverse member, substantially at the mid-point between said legs, to force said transverse member into clamping engagement with said sheaf.

12. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base adapted to support a sheaf of loose sheets, a generally U-shaped element having the extremities of its legs pivoted on said base upon aligned axes intermediate the ends of said base, and the transverse member of said element being adapted to engage the uppermost sheet of said sheaf to clamp said sheaf in place on said base, and means for applying external force to said transverse member, substantially at the midpoint between said legs, to ,force said transverse member into clamping engagement with said sheaf, said lastnamed means cooperating with said base at a point spaced from the axes of said legs by said transverse member.

13. A loose-leaf binder comprising a base for supporting a sheaf of sheets, and a clamping member comprising at least one lever hinged to said base, a bar extending from the free end of said lever across said base and adapted to engage said sheaf, and means cooperating with said bar for impressing a torsional stress on said bar and a bending stress on said lever to hold said sheaf in place on said base.

RAYMOND S. BROWN. 

